Bun Bang Fai is the rocket festival of Isaan, held as the rainy season begins to ask the sky for rain before the rice is planted. The best-known one is in Yasothon, over a Friday-to-Sunday weekend in the first half of May: a parade of decorated rockets on the Saturday and a day of launches from Phaya Thaen Park on the Sunday.
The rockets are homemade and packed with gunpowder, and the big ones climb high above the rice fields trailing smoke. Teams compete to send theirs the highest, and the weekend combines merit-making, music and a lot of noise. It is one of the most local festivals in Thailand that a foreign visitor can easily join. The date for 2027 has not been announced yet.
Yasothon Bun Bang Fai
- When
- A Friday-to-Sunday weekend in May; 2027 dates not yet announced (October 2026)
- 2026 edition
- Friday 8 to Sunday 10 May 2026
- Parade
- Saturday afternoon, along Chaeng Sanit Road to Wat Si Trai Phum
- Launches
- Sunday from 08:00 at Phaya Thaen Park
- Public holiday?
- No, it is a provincial festival
- Nearest big airport city
- Ubon Ratchathani
A rain ritual for the toad king and the sky god
TAT describes Bun Bang Fai as a festival held at the start of the rainy season to encourage rain for the rice crop. Bun means merit or a merit-making festival, and bang fai is the Isaan word the Royal Society dictionary defines as a very large firework with a long tail, the same thing as a rocket. The rockets are sent up to remind the heavens that the fields are ready.
The story behind it, as Yasothon tells it, is the legend of Phaya Khan Khak, the toad king, and Phaya Thaen, the sky god who controls the rain. In the version usually told, the rockets are a message to Phaya Thaen that it is time for rain. The launch ground in Yasothon is named Phaya Thaen Park after him, and TAT's 2022 listing also names a festival ground for Phaya Khan Khak.
The Yasothon weekend, day by day
The 2026 program, as published by the provincial office of the government news service, gives a good idea of the usual shape:
| Day | What happens (2026 program) | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Friday | Display of rockets from 16:00; evening cheering contests and the "Thida Bang Fai" (rocket festival queen) contest | City pillar shrine area |
| Saturday | Opening at 16:00; parade of decorated rockets and ancient-style rockets | Chaeng Sanit Road to Wat Si Trai Phum |
| Sunday | Rocket-launch competition from 08:00; trophies at 16:00 | Phaya Thaen Park |
The Saturday parade is the part to see if you only have one day: decorated rockets on floats, traditional costumes and folk dancing, with teams competing for the best procession. The Sunday launches are louder and less predictable. Some rockets soar out of sight, while others stall, veer off or break up near the launch frame.
Dates: why "the second weekend of May" is wrong
Many websites say Bun Bang Fai is always on the second weekend of May. The record says otherwise. According to TAT and the provincial announcements, Yasothon held it on 11 to 13 May in 2018, 13 to 15 May in 2022, 16 to 18 May in 2025 and 8 to 10 May in 2026. Each time it ran Friday to Sunday in the first half of May, but the exact weekend changes.
The festival was not held in 2020 and 2021. For 2027, no official date had been published by October 2026. TAT's monthly festival calendars (usually published a few weeks ahead) and Yasothon province announce it; check those before you book transport. Bun Bang Fai is not an official holiday, so banks and offices stay open; our page on Thai public holidays lists the days that are.
Rocket sizes and how a launch works
TAT names three traditional classes by the amount of powder: bang fai kilo with about 1 kg, bang fai muen with about 12 kg, and bang fai saen with about 120 kg. According to TAT, teams compete to send their rockets the highest, some reaching hundreds of feet. The large rockets are fired from launch frames set up in the open field, well away from the crowd.
Each launch can take a while to prepare. A full launch day means long waits in the sun, so bring a hat, water and patience; our page on heat and sun in Thailand explains the warning signs of heat illness.
Keeping a safe distance
These are powerful homemade rockets, and they do not always fly straight. In May 2026, Thai media reported that a rocket exploded during a launch at a village festival in Yasothon province and injured three spectators. Accidents like this are why organizers fence off the launch area.
Watch the launch frame from behind the barrier, never from under the flight path. Stay where the organizers put spectators, do not walk into the fields to get a better photo, and keep children close. If a rocket stalls on the frame, move back rather than forward.
The festival is also a big party, with plenty of local rice liquor, and the crowds can get rowdy as the day goes on. Keep your valuables in a waterproof bag, go early if you prefer a calmer atmosphere, and do not ride a scooter after drinking.
Other rocket festivals in Isaan
Yasothon is the biggest, but rocket festivals are held across the northeast from May into June. TAT's 2026 calendars listed, among others:
- Bua Khok, Tha Tum (Surin): Saturday 16 to Sunday 17 May 2026.
- Lai Si Phum, Suwannaphum (Roi Et): Wednesday 3 to Sunday 7 June 2026.
- Kham Muang (Kalasin): Saturday 6 to Sunday 7 June 2026.
TAT also describes the Phu Thai Kutwa tradition in Kalasin, where many rockets are launched as part of huge cartwheel-like structures up to six meters across. Smaller village festivals happen on many weekends of the season, and they are often more relaxed than the big one. Our Isaan guide explains the region and its towns, and the stalls at any of these festivals are a good place to try the grilled meats and salads in our guide to Thai dishes by region. At the other end of the rainy season, the Mekong towns celebrate the end of Buddhist Lent with the naga fireball nights in October.
Getting to Yasothon
The railway to Ubon Ratchathani does not pass through Yasothon, so the usual choice is between a long-distance bus from Bangkok's Mo Chit terminal and a flight to a nearby airport. Ubon Ratchathani, the biggest city of the far east, has flights from both Bangkok airports, and from there it is a road journey to Yasothon; our guide to Ubon Ratchathani covers the airport and the city.
Hotels in Yasothon are limited and fill up for the festival weekend, so many visitors stay in Ubon or another larger town and come in for the day. Our pages on long-distance buses and domestic flights explain booking. May is one of the hottest months in Isaan, with the first storms arriving; see the weather by month before you pack.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Yasothon rocket festival in 2027?
The 2027 dates had not been announced by October 2026. Recent editions were held on a Friday-to-Sunday weekend in the first half of May (8 to 10 May in 2026, 16 to 18 May in 2025). Watch TAT's monthly festival calendar and Yasothon province's announcements.
What is the meaning of Bun Bang Fai?
It is a merit-making festival held as the rainy season begins, to ask for rain for the rice fields. The local legend links it to Phaya Khan Khak, the toad king, and Phaya Thaen, the sky god who controls the rain; the rockets remind the sky that the fields are ready.
Is the rocket festival dangerous?
It can be. The rockets are homemade and sometimes explode or fly off course; in May 2026 three spectators were reported injured at a village launch in Yasothon province. Stay behind the barriers, away from the flight path, and keep children close.
Which day of the rocket festival is best?
The Saturday parade of decorated rockets is the most photogenic and the easiest to enjoy. The Sunday launch day is the heart of the competition but means long hours in the sun. If you can, see both.
Sources
- NBT/PRD Yasothon – Bun Bang Fai 2026 program (8 May 2026) (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – 2022 Bun Bung Fai Rocket Festival in Isan (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Yasothon Bun Bang Fai Festival 2018 (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – May 2025 festivals and events (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – May 2026 festivals and events (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – June 2026 festivals and events (checked October 2026)
- Royal Society of Thailand – Thai dictionary (entry for bang fai) (checked October 2026)